FULL HAAS: THOMAS HAAS CHOCOLATES AND PÂTISSERIE WINS INAUGURAL BEST BAKERY NOD AT 2017 VANCOUVER MAGAZINE RESTAURANT AWARDS

Renowned Pâtissier’s Prestigious New Accolade Marks Five Straight Wins and 14th Overall Trophy Collected at the Annual Awards Ceremony Since 2001

Internationally-acclaimed pâtissier and chocolatier Thomas Haas continued his delicious winning tradition at the 28th edition of the annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards last night when his namesake cafés claimed the inaugural Best Bakery award.

Haas is certainly no stranger to accolades at the annual award ceremony. Before the award was officially retired this year, Haas claimed four straight Pastry Chef of the Year nods and five since the category was first launched in 2011. This year’s honour in the new category makes it 14 wins overall at the awards counting his eight previous victories in the category of Best Last Course, the first of which was given to Haas in 2001.

“Notwithstanding this is a new category, it’s a familiar face that topped our judges’ ballots,” stated the magazine in its awards roundup featured in the May issue of the publication. “Whether we call it best pastry chef or best bakery, Thomas Haas, he of the double-baked almond croissants, quark danish and sparkle cookies, remains at the top of the bread basket for all things leavened.”

In claiming his latest gold, Haas — who was inducted into the British Columbia Restaurant Hall of Fame in 2009 — joins Fraser Street’s Bâtard and Burnaby’s Chez Christophe in the top three, which took home silver and bronze awards in the category, respectively.

A fourth-generation pâtissier, Haas set the tone for his career in the kitchen when his grandfather introduced him to the fine art of handcrafting chocolates and pastries in his café in the Black Forest region of Germany. Thomas picked up the torch and went on to earn his stripes as Master Pastry Chef, working in restaurants across Europe, including stints at a Michelin two-star restaurant in Switzerland and at renowned restaurateur Daniel Boulud’s flagship eatery Daniel in Manhattan, which was awarded three Michelin stars during Haas’ tenure as Executive Pastry Chef.

Haas and his wife Lisa realized a lifelong dream by opening their first chocolaterie, patisserie and cappuccino bar in North Vancouver in 2004 and the café quickly became a destination spot for locals and visitors alike. Five years later, the duo opened a second location to similar rave reviews on West Broadway in the Kitsilano enclave of Vancouver.

“This is not just a huge honour for both myself and Lisa but the talented team that I share the floor with and rely on every day for their finesse and sensitivity,” says Haas. “We never take any of these awards for granted and we are deeply humbled to be singled out for this accolade and thank all of our guests for believing in what we do and supporting us throughout the years.”

The Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards are judged by a panel of leading experts and critics, and handed out at a formal award show at the Sheraton Wall Centre in Vancouver. A full list of winners from the 2017 edition of the awards is available at www.vanmag.com.

ABOUT THOMAS HAAS CHOCOLATES & PÂTISSERIE | An internationally acclaimed, fourth-generation pâtissier, Thomas Haas gained experience in Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe and North America before settling in Vancouver and opening his own namesake chocolaterie, patisserie and café in 2005. Haas — Vancouver Magazine’s Pastry Chef of the Year in 2011 and 2013 through ’16 — uses only the finest raw ingredients sourced both locally and from around the globe and, in keeping with family custom, eschews the notion of assembly lines and mass-production techniques, instead trusting in a talented team of pastry chefs and chocolatiers whose finesse and sensitivity is lovingly expressed in every hand-spun confection.

Thomas Haas products are exclusively available at both his Kitsilano and North Vancouver cafés as well as select leading hotels, retailers and restaurants across North America. www.thomashaas.com

North Shore | 128 – 998 Harbourside Drive | North Vancouver, BC V7P 3T2 | 604-924-1847

Kitsilano | 2539 West Broadway | Vancouver, BC V6K 2E9 | 604-736-1848

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Sunday and Monday)

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